Smarter computing for smarter agriculture

A Charles
Sturt University (CSU) research team is examining how 'smart agriculture' can help
Australian farmers take advantage of growing global food markets.

"Smart
agriculture could help open the door by increasing efficiencies and increasing
production," said Dr Sabih Rehman, a lecturer in the CSU School of Computing
and Mathematics in Wagga Wagga.

'Smart
agriculture' combines the use of various wireless sensors to gather
and monitor real-time climate and production data, which is then forwarded into
computer models to help farmers make informed decisions.

"The
introduction of the National Broadband Network into regional Australia will further
encourage smart agriculture as it should allow fast, reliable and uninterrupted
internet access for remote communities," said Dr Rehman.

Dr Rehman
along with Dr Lihong Zheng are developing innovative, customised and low cost
technology for use in any agricultural setting using wireless sensors.

"Soil moisture, temperature and humidity are some essential
hydrological and climatic factors that influence agricultural production and
can vary widely across a farm.

"In general, combining the use of wireless sensors and remote sensing
data can give machinery precise instructions for farming operations such as spraying,
seeding, irrigating and harvesting."

Dr
Zheng, a senior lecturer in CSUs' School of Computing and Mathematics and an
expert in machine learning and image analysis, recognises the importance of using
modern technology in agricultural settings.

"Remote sensing of farm paddocks can play a key role in monitoring
various climatic and hydrological factors and in establishing precision
agriculture setting to address the changing environment in paddocks," Dr Zheng
said.

"For example, a number of crop, soil and climate sensors could be
deployed in paddocks to record and analyse up-to-the-minute environmental data.

"When combined with longer term remote sensing data, this could
allow more efficient and targeted use of fertilisers and agricultural
chemicals, which could reduce chemical use, save the local environment and save
farmers money."

The
research team is also exploring the use of agricultural drones in conjunction
with this research to enhance the communication and data capture in larger
paddocks.

The
research team includes Bachelor of Information Technology students,
Mr James Muir and Mr Nathaniel Hill, who have developed a 'cloud' based software
architecture to store the large amount of data acquired through the sensors.
This can be further enhanced to store images captured by drones for further analysis.

In addition, the CSU team has developed a software application suited
to a mobile phone or a desktop computer that uses data from wireless sensors to
monitor various irrigation and harvesting operations remotely.

"We
have shown that the huge volume of data from sensors can be managed and
manipulated to help build, deploy and manage services that can assist farmers
to make informed decisions that enhance the quality and quantity of their
produce," Dr Zheng said.